I didn’t realize I was in for a treat when that crazy SUV-driving soccer mom slammed into my car in the parking lot after Spanish camp.  Not that I’m judging.  After all, I drive a Toyota 4-Runner, have two spirited preschoolers, and have been called crazy more than once.  But I’m trying to mend my careless ways by living a little lighter on the planet, hoping to do my small part for mankind in the process. With the 4-Runner in the body shop, I’m enjoying a new opportunity to be eco-friendly with my fabulous rental car: the 3^rd Generation hybrid-electric Toyota Prius.

 I still remember test-driving the first generation Prius.   Back in 2000, I was just beginning to respond to a desire to protect the environment.  But as much as I wanted to conserve resources to protect the habitats of the wildlife I loved, my convictions weren’t strong enough for me to stomach driving that strange little sub-compact matchbox of a car.  Somehow over the past decade, my eco-enthusiasm has evolved into a full-blown passion, and I’m excited to report that the Prius has come a long way, too.  Now in its tenth year, this car is NOTHING if not cool.

We had a great 4^th of July this year – the best I can remember. We swam in the pool at Prestonwood Country Club for hours and then enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner while listening to a men’s choir sing patriotic songs. Afterwards we reclined on the golf course lawn to watch an amazing fireworks display. One of the neatest moments of the evening came when former Marines and other servicemen stood up for special recognition.  As we honored these veterans, it occurred to me that I owe the life I enjoy today in part to them.  Few in my generation can relate to the struggles and sacrifices they must have endured to preserve our freedom. I am humbled by the bravery of these patriots.

I don’t personally know anyone actively serving in the military today, but I do know a group of brave leaders who are fighting for America in their own way.  These entrepreneurs are working to protect us from a new kind of threat: diminishing resources. I’m not just talking about wildlife, but vital, life-sustaining substances like air, water and land.  I call these servant leaders ecopreneurs, but what they are saving is so much more than the environment.

Has the sport of kings finally come down to earth? Long considered a pastime for elites, the centuries-old game of polo is made accessible and fun at Prestonwood Polo & Country Club.  In tribute to mother Earth, the club hosted its 2^nd annual Polo for the Planet on June 5^th, a family-friendly, picnic-style community celebration.   Judging by this event’s popularity, polo’s panache seems to add just the sort of luster that the green movement has been longing for.

The brainchild of polo club owners Dena and Vaughn Miller, Polo for the Planet gives green business owners, aka “ecopreneurs”, a way to sell their wares and spread the green gospel against a backdrop of grassy fields and galloping horses. The Green Market was assembled by this year’s event chair Debora Annino, the creative director of dNh Do No Harm medical scrubs: high-quality, sustainable apparel for use in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and spas.  Green Market vendors in attendance and/or donating to the gift bags included: Anna Sova home, Avon Liv Botanicals, A.L.A.R.M women’s products, dNH Do No Harm, Dixie Piece Goods, EarthPeople, Earth on a Shoestring, GreenPet, Make Love Not Trash, Moss Gatherers, Nordstrom Galleria Beauty, Pure Dental, Rehoboth Ranch, Sila’s Soup, Susan’s Soaps & More, Texas Discovery Gardens, and The Spa at The Whole Foods Market.

Meet my new best friend.  No, it’s not Evan Wyly, the Chairman of the Board of Green Mountain Energy (although he’s a very nice guy).  It’s his car: the incomparable Tesla Roadster.  Although my affair with this car was short-lived, I still can’t shake the memory (alas, my ’98 Toyota 4-Runner just doesn’t look the same).  But don’t go thinking I’m shallow.  Let me assure you, this isn’t about looks; it’s what inside that counts.  Or in this case, what’s under the hood: an all-electric motor. 

I’ve been looking at EVs for the past year.  Thanks to my client Evatran, the manufacturers of Plugless Power, the world’s first cordless electric vehicle charging infrastructure, I was treated to a ride in BMW’s Electric Mini-E.  No golf cart, this chic battery-powered, 2-seater sports car has helped advance the technology and build a market capable of taking the electric vehicle mainstream.  Indeed, Nissan’s Leaf and GM’s Volt wouldn’t be possible without the pioneers that came before them. But the Tesla is in a league of its own.  Driven by the likes of George Clooney, the Roadster is the electric car of the stars.